“It scratched me.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
Lani shot him a look, and his eyes were narrowed.
“Go back to whatever you were doing, Noah. I’ll take him to Mrs. C; she might know where he belongs.”
He followed as she walked to the shop. Mrs. C didn’t know who owned the cat, but as she had to go to the vet to get some medicine for her budgie, she’d take this one. Hank put the feline in a box, which it didn’t seem to mind, and off they went with Buddy trotting behind them.
“Sit down, and I’ll clean that scratch.”
“I have it, you get back to what you need to do.” Lani headed into the shop to look at the changes, but she only made it a step. He lifted her and placed her on the bench.
“Stay.”
Surprise had her doing just that. He walked to a cupboard and returned with a medical kit.
“It needs cleaning, and you should probably go to the doctor to have a jab or something.”
“I’m up to date.”
He dabbed something from a bottle on a cotton bud. “This could be ouchie.”
“Ouchie?”
“Rose uses that word.”
His touch was gentle but it still stung. “You can scream, I don’t mind.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t scream?”
“No,” Lani managed to get out.
“Why not?”
“It doesn’t achieve anything.”
He put down the bud and looked at her.
“It’s a release, and an honest emotion. Its achievement is in that.”
“I don’t like it.”
“How long have you not liked it? Because I’m sure you came out of the womb with the capacity to scream.” He took out a tube of something and then a Band-Aid.
“A while.”
He finished with the scratch, and then braced his hands on either side of her. “Who didn’t hear you when you screamed?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” She wanted to look away but his eyes held hers.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
She said nothing, and the tension between them grew until he closed the distance and kissed her. Hot, sweet and in seconds she forgot every thought but one, him.
Mrs. C’s voice had him easing back. He ran a finger along her top lip. “You can scream around me anytime.” Picking Lanie up, he then lowered her to the floor.
